Subjects

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

“Quick, Back to the Confabulator Machine!”: The Tribune Editorial Board’s Response to
Cullerton’s Pension Comments

Confabulator: (noun)
One who fills in gaps in one's own
memory with fabrications that one believes to be facts.

Toxic Confabulator: (noun) One who fills in gaps in other people’s memories with
fabrications that one wants them to believe are facts. Synonym. Tribune Editorial Board.

Imagine the bustling in the editorial board room of the
Chicago Tribune the other day after Senate Majority Leader John Cullerton
explained on WGN radio that the pension issues facing Illinois weren’t really a
crisis; instead, more like an attempt
by corporate business leaders to secure money in order to roll back the taxes
they have been grudgingly paying.

Yikes! Senator, can
you possibly conceive the havoc in the oak paneled shrine of the editorial
board in the Tribune Tower when you inconveniently uttered these nearly
accurate insights? This after they had
earlier invited you last year to their sylvan cloistered tower to tell them
what they had wanted to hear about pension reform?

In fact, Senator, the anger in their October 21st
response is almost palpable. You have unwittingly
(?) conjured many of the arguments from the Civic Federation, the Civic
Committee, and the Illinois Policy Institute that Mr. Dold and his group at the
Trib have used for years to excoriate public workers and brutalize pensions in
general – even if citing those groups does rather make your earlier point.

But, enough of that!
Back to the confabulator machine, Board!

“Cullerton and other of this state’s leaders have spent many
years not fixing the pension debacle they created. They
promised too much to employees, then didn’t set aside enough money to pay the
very benefits they had promised.”

Nice spin, confabulators.
Instead of explaining that any growth over the years was matched by
increases in the public sector workers’ contributions, the confabulators like
to use that old Illinois Policy Institute axiom that any pension is a promise
of too much. They’ll ignore the truth
that teachers, for example, paid nearly 10% of their earnings into
contributions. For the Tribune, the IPI,
and others; pensions are peevish promises, and promises are expected to be
honored. In itself that makes pension simply “too much.”

“…then didn’t set
aside enough money to pay the very benefits…”

In actuality, the money promised (remember that word?) was
given in services and perks to the Illinois citizens to keep tax rates
artificially low (at the behest of the Civic Committee and others). In other words, it was a corporate/state theft
of the money that was honestly put into the system by those in the public
sector. Another confabulated rotation.

“…not set aside…”
actually means that public sector retirement systems had to make up those
differences without the ability to invest those workers; contributions for the
future retirees as planned.

You’ll also read the Trib’s pejorative phrase “feeding the pension funds” as you
review their confabulations too. They
like that phrase, as do their corporate friends. While this repetitive catchphrase makes it
sound once again like pensions themselves are a problem. Not so.

In actuality, feeding the pension funds (the normal costs)
is minimal; it’s feeding the debt that will never go away that is costing the
state great pain. That makes the issue a
debt problem in longer, more systemic terms; but the confabulators will never
try to explain that. It’s easier and
more suitable to toxic confabulators to throw the word “crisis” into every
conversation. To have a Senate Majority
Leader say it is NOT a “crisis” makes a board, a business leader, or someone
trying to confabulate very uncomfortable indeed. Those
in power do not like uncomfortable.

So instead, the Board taunts Cullerton: he’s afraid of
unions and much too respectful of the Illinois Constitution because he won’t
endorse the kind of draconian and contemptuous plan put forth by bold Speaker
Madigan earlier. Madigan’s plan (with the precious endorsement
of the Civic Federation) will save almost three times what Cullerton’s moderate
(and equally unconstitutional) suggestion would net.

Truth: For decades in Illinois, public worker’s
pensions have been burglarized by the General Assembly and corporations in
our state, and now when seeking justice, that same General Assembly and those
same corporations would impose a hefty fine on those workers “for being
burglarized in the first place.”

Really, Senator? You need to look at the problem from another
point of view.

The recent political brawling and financial feuding in the
country’s capitol left bond rating companies and businesses warning that the
United States of America was in serious danger of becoming untrustworthy, a
deadbeat, and unreliable to its debtors.

The world of business, Senator, does not like anxiety and
uncertainty. By the way, they also abhor
taxes and would cherish “pushing the pension changes for the benefit lower taxes…”
as you sagely pointed out in the Tribune this morning.

Uncertainty begets anxiety, which begets caution, which
begets inaction and distrust, Senator.
This is BUSINESS’ warning to you.
This is Fahner’s PAC We Mean Business’ everlasting mantra.

Uncertainty, anxiety,
and distrust, Senator. Imagine for a short moment, Senator, that you happen
to be a pensioner in Illinois, retired some decade or two or three. Perhaps you are experiencing the sudden responsibility
to care for the elders in your family, parents whose care may cost nearly all
of your savings or monthly pension stipends.
Maybe, God forbid, you’re a pensioner who has become ill and is fighting
on all fronts medically to prepare yourself for a fight which you know will
test all of your savings and future earnings.
Maybe you were a retiree who marched out into the small business market
several years ago and suffered an unexpected financial meltdown and the tumid
spread of loss of credit. Or someone
with bills, or plans, or hopes of retirement, Senator?

In Illinois, nothing but uncertainty, anxiety and
distrust. For hundreds of thousands of
people working and retired.

You say it’s not a crisis, Senator, and I quite honestly
would agree. It is a debt and revenue
problem, one caused by the diversion of required contributions by the General
Assembly for other perks and programs. But
that’s not the direction you or your colleagues in the General Assembly will take. Now, business wants that tax roll back, and
you at least see how it is on the backs of those that paid in. Thanks for that.

But your feeling sorry or being honest does not clean your
hands, Senator. As Newman said in Cool
Hand Luke, “That don’t make it right, Boss.”

Thanks for being honest, Senator Cullerton, but that don’t make
it right.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Some members of ALEC in Illinois’ General Assembly will be
busy this fall and spring to make some headway politically and personally in
Illinois, especially those in the House.

ALEC (American
Legislative Exchange Council) is a corporate bill industry. An organization heavily funded by the Koch
brothers, it is a strategic bill-making plant providing expensive getaways for
state legislators to meet in luxury or exotic haunts to generate model bills
with the assistance of corporate benefactors or legal advisors. ALEC
itself proudly boasts it emphasis on restoring the balance; “An Initiative to
Restore Federalism in America.”

According to one constituent who called retiring
Representative Renee Kosel’s (R-37) office regarding her close ties to ALEC, we “wouldn’t understand the
tremendous benefits that are gained through her (and others?) connections to ALEC.”
Representative Kosel is proud of her chairmanship in the state with ALEC and uses her website openly to
emphasize her loyalty.

Personally, I probably would not understand those
‘tremendous benefits.” Banning the
opportunity for a living wage, crippling collective bargaining rights,
privatizing the school systems, undermining voting rights, and promoting
privatization of our prison systems would just be a few of ALEC’s major “goal
of restoring the founding fathers’ intent for the states.” These kinds of activities are much too
complicated for any constituent like me to comprehend (http://www.republicreport.org/2012/the-top-five-most-despicable-laws-passed-by-corporate-front-group-alec/)
.

Retiring Representative Kosel

ALEC member Representative
Tom Cross (R-97) is moving up this
year too, making a run for the Treasurer in Illinois. Part of Tom Cross’ campaign is to point out
that he was early to spot the problem with pensions (note: he doesn’t say he
spotted the debt caused by his and others’ theft of funds diverted from
pensions). But Representative Cross has done his work according to
those who would describe the unfunded liability (call it DEBT) a crisis, so he
has the commensurate backing of power-brokers like Ty Fahner, Sam Skinner, Ron Gidwitz and others.

Taking Representative Cross’ position as House leader on the
Republican side will be ALEC member Representative Jim Durkin. Durkin is listed as a member by AlecExposed
due to his promises to participate in this fall’s annual meeting in Chicago. Reviewing Durkin’s legislative website, he
does not boast his fellowship or connections with ALEC, unlike his team member
Representative Patti Bellock or
gubernatorial candidate Senator Kirk
Dillard. He does like his picture
posted with other ALEC loyalist Senator Christine Radagno. Like Representative Kosel, they prominently
place their strong affiliation with all things Koch on their websites.

This brings us to ALEC member Representative Darlene Senger (R-41), member of the Pension Task
Force about to deliver its verdict for “pension reform” during the Veto Session
or shortly thereafter. True,
Representative Senger is just one of twelve (Republican) congresspersons in
Illinois who work with and for ALEC, but she is about to move on up in attempting
to secure a seat at the federal level.

Representative Senger, unlike many of her fellows, is more
understated about her membership in the “initiative to shift power back to the
states and away from the federal government.”
Her website is not exactly an avowal of her association with ALEC or her serving for so many years
on the influential International
Relations Task Force.

Needless to say, serving on this committee will certainly
prepare her for the more global aspects of politics on the federal level, just
as her earlier vocation in selling investment instruments has helped her to
propose the turning of the pension system into a 401K program for “the
betterment of its members.”

And what has the International Relations Task Force promoted
in its attempts to provide “Limited Government, Free Markets, and
Federalism”?

- An attempt to
prevent Australia and other countries from imposing “plain packaging” rules on
cigarettes in an attempt to reduce consumption by their public due to the disastrous
health consequences. LSMFT!

- To deny federal
mandates (like the Affordable Care Act) in any of the states due to the affirmation
of the Tenth Amendment Rights, making such mandates a direct violation of the
U.S. Constitution. If we can’t shut it down…

- To exchange the
international monitoring and prevention of “blood diamonds” being harvested
from places like Africa with private companies and/or local governments. Wal-Mart
security in charge…

- The banning of any
unilateral trade sanctions against other governments as our prosperity is tied
to participation in a global economy. Maybe the Somalis just need private
schools?

- The averting of any
defense limitations in spending or more in sequestration as for the harm such reductions
in defense spending would have on our economic prosperity. Make
war, not love, people.

This was back in the summer. Of course, after his announcement, Fahner was
quick to deny that he meant what he said but was actually describing something
that probably didn’t happen…and so on. It
was like listening to Jon Lovitz as the “Liar” on SNL. Afterwards, there was no follow-up
investigation by the State’s Attorney’s Office and even less from the Chicago
print media.

Last week, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) announced they would
be moving over 100 jobs out of their current headquarters in Decatur to “more
global locations,” unless they were provided with $24 million in tax breaks
over the next 20 years. This “might”
keep them in Illinois.

Although the Tribune editorial board was quick to provide
the usual exhortation that ADM’s offer was a good deal for Quinn and the state,
the Governor said this was hardly the time.
“’ We need ADM and all of our big businesses to band together, put
pressure on the legislature, the House and the Senate, Democratic and
Republican, to get a vote on pension reform, ‘ Quinn said. “That helps
everybody. That helps every
business. That helps every
taxpayer.’”

Hang-on. You’ve just
buckled into an ethical roller coaster.

Let’s see. The
General Assembly and various Governors over the last five decades have played “let’s rob Peter to pay Paul” when it
came to the theft of pension funds from workers to pay for various services
without having to tax citizenry.

Now, Governor Squeezy wants to flip the text: Let’s extort (insert corporate name) to
force Paul to rob Peter…AGAIN. And, if you – in this case, ADM, are
successful, well, Governor Squeezy will give you some of that money.

So, in a very real sense, any pension reform that comes to
the Governor to sign is available for his use in providing tax credits to companies
like CME, or Sears, or Navistar, or Ford, or ADM…shall I go on? Zurich Bank is waiting their turn to ask. Office Max would like a deal too.

The corporate tax breaks in the (possibly) near future will
be supplied by the money from the reduction in cost of living allowances to the
hundreds of thousands of current and future public workers? Is this the reform the Governor and the
Pension Committee want? Is this the “new
reality?”

Indeed, Governor Squeezy, that might help every business,
but as for the taxpayer? Remember that
that $24 million to possibly prevent
the possible move to a better
location (possibly Chicago) is money
earned by hard-working people who expect services, not corporate welfare.

And, as a pensioner, I might add the morally slippery
downhill of your argument is despicable.

About Me

I am a retiree, political activist, social advocate and community volunteer. I taught at Lyons Township High School in LaGrange for 34 years in the Language Arts classroom and worked as an administrator for several years. My current avocations include various community outreach and assistance programs. Having benefitted from employment in a collegial, reflective teaching environment that encouraged dedication and professionalism, I continue to seek the promotion of education at all levels as a long-term effort combining talent, perseverance, commitment, and constant professional growth - not a blind adherence to a business model of measured production.

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